Bookish, Geekish & Writerly Things

Seriously, SPOILERS! If you have not read these books, then I suggest you turn back now.

I mean it, I’m pretty much going to RUIN the whole series if you don’t turn back now.

Annndddd, one last SPOILERannouncement?

Ok then.

Let me just say this. THIS WAS THE MOST AMAZING TRIANGLE EVER!!!

It was everything I could ever ask for, and I hated it. This series just wrecked my heart and crushed my soul, then, after stomping it into the ground, and grinding it to a fine dust, carefully picked up the shattered pieces and stuck them back together again.

So, there’s Tessa, right, getting rescued by the dashingly handsome Will Herondale, *cue some serious swooning* and swept off to the unknown of the Shadow World. I mean, he’s clearly going to be the main love interest in this story right?

Wrong!

I was all prepared to be swept away by William Herondale. He just seemed so perfect, so obviously he’s broken and broody, handsome with those blues eyes and black hair, and if his quick wit an roguish ways didn’t sell it? He’s also a huge book nerd like Tessa!

Match made in heaven right? That’s what I thought! I was so ready to fawn all over this ship. Then I met James (Jem) Carstairs, and it was officially all over for me. Jem is the opposite of Will in most every way. He is the steady flame to Will’s wild fire. Sweet, fragile Jem who loves his violin, who is living on borrowed time. Yes, I fell instantly in love with the dying boy.

Clearly I was hitching my horse to the wrong wagon wasn’t I? Clearly Will is the clear front runner for Tessa’s heart? Jem was clearly going to be the guy silently loving Tessa from afar? Right? RIGHT?

Well, again, you would be wrong!

Both these beautiful boys fall in love with Tessa, BUT the big difference from anything I’ve read is she also loves them both back in equal measure! Ugh, my heart!

In the beginning, Will and Tessa’s romance blooms, looking to me like this is it. They dance around each other, they KISS, then Will becomes a complete asshat to her! Mainly because Will’s deep dark secret is that he’s cursed, so naturally, he says some truly unforgivable things to Tessa (for her own good, ugh) keeping her at arms length. And there you have it, this ship has sunk before it ever really set sail.

Tessa has already struck up a beautiful friendship with Jem by now, so they start to spend a lot of time together. I mean, the guy is pretty much courting her and no one notices! Not even Tessa! How no one else realizes he’s in love with her is beyond me! I knew it from the moment they met! I mean, seriously Will! Pay attention! How do you not see your best parabatai is falling in love with the same girl!

So while Jem and Tessa grow closer, he falling more deeply in love with her every day, Will continues his self-destructive ways, being utterly horrible to everyone. Will eventually takes things too far even for Jem to stomach. He and Tessa are forced to drag Will from a demon infested drug den.

Tessa goes to Jem to comfort him after the debacle with Will and things get seriously heated! Jem is tired of being her friends and just takes the chance and kisses her, and they almost have sex! OMG! I was so shocked and so happy, it was awesome, awesome until Jem’s medicine box falls over and he promptly boots Tessa from the room. Ugh, Jem! She knows you take the drug to live! She didn’t care!

They then spend all this time NOT talking about it! Jem loves Tessa. Tessa loved Jem. Will Loves Tessa. Tessa loves Will. My god! Will’s brooding. Jem’s brooding. Tessa’s brooding. Everyone is brooding and no one is talking! Eventually Jem and Tessa talk and the next minute they are making out in the carriage. These two cannot keep their hands from each other!

Yay? Nope!

Picture this! Will finally figures out his curse is not real and he’s so happy he rushes back to the institute to declare his love for Tessa. Except, at the same time, Jem is proposing to Tessa, and she is saying yes…

“You speak of sacrifice, but it is not my sacrifice I offer. It is yours I ask of you,” he went on. “I can offer you my life, but it is a short life; I can offer you my heart, though I have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain. But I love you enough to hope that you wil not care that I am being selfish in trying to make the rest of my life – whatever length – happy, by spending it with you. I want to be married to you, Tessa. I want it more than I have ever wanted anything else in my life.” He looked up at her through the veil of silvery hair that fell over his eyes. “That is,” he said shyly, “if you love me, too.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince

Really, should have been paying attention Will… I mean, you REALLY should have.

“Tessa had begun to tremble. This is what she had always wanted someone to say. What she had always, in the darkest corner of her heart, wanted Will to say. Will, the boy who loved the same books she did, the same poetry she did, who made her laugh even when she was furious. And here he was standing in front of her, telling her he loved the words of her heart, the shape of her soul. Telling her something she had never imagined anyone would ever tell her. Telling her something she would never be told again, not in this way. And not by him.
And it did not matter.
“It’s too late”, she said.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince

The part where Will is begging Tessa to change her mind, just ruins me. I mean, I was in hysterics, some serious ugly crying happening. Then! The very next scene Will is seriously contemplating asking Jem to stand down, but when he sees how happy Jem is for the first time in his life, Will give him his blessing. Jem never knowing his parabatai is hopelessly in love with his new fiancee.

Ugh, it hurts so bad already, but trust me when I say, the worst is yet to come… I haven’t even got to the third book yet! So. Many. Tears.